Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Roundup herbicide, manufactured by Monsanto. Roundup is widely used by farmers in corn, soybeans and Roundup Ready alfalfa. Monsanto generated $4.8 billion in fiscal revenue from Roundup in 2015.
In March 2015, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. California law requires the state to keep a list of cancer-causing chemicals to inform residents. California’s state law is known as Proposition 65. In the lawsuit, Monsanto also claims lack of oversight for Proposition 65, as well as due process.
Monsanto disputes IARC’s listing and backs its claim by citing decades of studies deeming glyphosate as a safe substance, unlikely to cause cancer.
A listing on Proposition 65 would require companies with products containing glyphosate to provide “clear and reasonable warning” to consumers that glyphosate is a cancer-causing chemical. FG
